Current-motor.



PATENTED APR. 5, 1904.

F. H. GRAGO. CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLIoATIoN FILED 001228, 190s.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

N0 MODEL.

Wfgcsses No.' 756,335. PATENTED APR. 5, 1904.

P. H. GRAGO.

CURRENT MOTOR.

APPLIOATION FILED ooT.2a, 1903.

N0 MODEL.

wihjzss s WTV a,

UTTED STATES Patented April 5, 1904.

FELIX H. CRAGO, OF` BILLINGS, MONTANA.

CURRENT-MOTOR.

PEGIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 756,335, dated April 5,1904.

Application filed October 28, 1903. Serial llo. 178,909. (No model.)

To cir/ZZ whom. 721'; 11H07/ concern:

Be it known that I, FELIX H. CRAGO, a citizen of the United States,residing at Billings, in the county of Yellowstone and State of Montana,have invented a new and useful Current- Motor, of which the following isa specification. A v

This invention relates to hydraulic motors of that class which aregenerally known as current-motors and which are operated by the currentof a stream in which they are placed, said current serving to operatethe motor, the power generated thereby being utilized, for instance, topump water for irrigating or other purposes.

My present invention has for its object to provide a device of thisclass which shall be simple in construction and of such a nature that itmay be manufactured without the necessity of skilled labor and whichwill operate without attention, thereby providing a means by which watermay be raised from the stream in which the motor is placed.

My invention consists in the improved construction, arrangement, andcombination of parts, which will be hereinafter fully described, andparticularly pointed out in the claims. A

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of myimproved currentmotor, showing the blade of the same about to enter thewater. Fig..2 is a longitudinal sectional view showing the device at theopposite end of the stroke with the blade about to ascend from thewater. Figs. 8, 8b, and 3c are detail views showing various positions ofthe blade or paddle.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by similarnumerals of reference.

1 1 designate a pair of flat-bottomed boats or floats which sustain myimproved current-` motor and its related parts. These floats are spacedapart and connected by means of braces 2 2 and 3 3, which are located,respectively, against the upper and the lower or bottom sides of theside fioats, connections between the said braces 2 and 3 being made bymeans of bolts il. The intel-space between the floats 1 1 is of sufcientwidth to receive the lower end of a pump-casing, which in addition tobeing clamped securely between the iioats is retained securely by meansof braces 6, of which any desired number' may be used, the same beingarranged in any desired position which will serve to rigidly connect thepump-casing with the floating supporting means.

At the rear end of the floating structure is erected a rectangular framestructure 6, sustained and supported by means of' suitable braces 6b,and pivotally connected with the side members of the frame structure 6is a V.- shaped frame 7, the side members of which converge in a forwarddirection, the front ends of said side members being securely connected,as will be clearly seen in Fig. 1. The frame in front of its pivotalpoint or fulcrum supports a box 8, in which weights may be placed forthe purpose of providing the desired equilibrium to enable the device tooperate to the best advantage, the front part of said frame beingslightly overbalanced by the portion in rear of its fulcrum. The sidemembers 9 of the V-shaped frame 7 diverge rearwardly, as shown, from thepivotal point or fulcrum, which consists of a shaft 10, connected with75 the side members. 9 and having its ends journaled in boXings 11 uponthe upright members of the vertical frame structure 6a.

12 designates the water-engaging blade or paddle, which is secured atthe lower ends of 8O the side pieces 13 of a frame which in addition tosaid side pieces includes diagonal braces 14. and a shaft 15, whichlatter pivotally connects the paddle-carrying frame with the rear endsof the side members of the V-shaped 85 frame 7. Such weights as areplaced in the box 8 are intended to approximately counterbalance' theweight of the paddle-carrying frame, so that the frame 7 shall beapproximately equally'weighted on opposite sides of 90 the fulcrumthereof.

The pump-casing is provided With an upwardly and rearwardly extendingbracketframe 16, in the outer end of which is fulcrumed a lever 17, thefree end of which is 95 pivotally connected with the pump-rod 18.lntermediately connected with the lever or walking-beam 17 is a link 19,the lower end of which has pivotal connection with one arm 20 of abell-crank lever 21, which latter is ful- IOO drawings.

crumed upon a pin or shaft 22,7which connects the proximate walls of thefloats 1. A brace 23 connects the horizontal arm 20 of the bellcranklever with its vertical arm 24, and said vertical arm is connected, bymeans of chains 25, with the paddle 12 or with the paddle-carryingframe.

Upon the lever or walking-beam 17 is placed an adjustable weight 25,which assists in enabling the desired equilibrium to be ascertained andmaintained between the working parts of the device.

When this device is out of operation, the

front end of the V-shaped frame is depressed,

thus elevating the paddle-carrying frame until the paddle is clear ofthe water. In this position the frame 7 may be maintained by anysuitable means. Vhen the device is to be started in operation, theV-shaped frame is released, thus permitting the paddle to descend. Itmaybe assumed that the blade or paddle enters the water in anapproximately vertical position, as shown in Fig. 3b of the As soon asit comes under the current it is moved forcibly in a rearward direction,the chains 25, connecting the blade with the bell-crank lever 21,serving to rock the-latter upon its fulcrum, the connectinglink 19 beingthus elevated', thereby raising the free end of the lever 17 Vand movingthe pump-rod in an upward direction. When the limit of the paddle in arearward directionhas been reached, it will have attained the downwardlyand rearwardly inclined position shown in Fig. 3c. The force of thecurrent when the blade is in this position will be expended downwardlyagainst the front face of the blade, which being inclined down-v leverand drawing the lower end of the paddle-carrying frame in a forwarddirection, so that the blade when it descends will present its frontface in a downwardly and forwardly inclined position with relation tothe current,

as will be seen in Fig. 3a of the drawings. When the blade descends inthis position, the tendency of the current exercised upon the face ofthe paddle will be to climb upwardly u'pon and hence to submerge thepaddle-blade, which, now exposed to the full force of the current, movesrapidly in a rearward direction when its position is reversed to thatillustrated in Fig. 3, where the tendency of the current is to eject theblade in an upward direction, when the operation heretofore describedwill be repeated. It is when the blade is forcibly propelled in arearward direction by the force of the current that the lifting actionof the pump takes place and the water lifted by means of the latter isdischarged through the spout 26, from which a` hose 27, supported in atrough 28, may be used to convey the water to any desired point.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. In a current-motor, asupporting-frame, a rocking frame pivotally connected with saidsupporting-frame, a paddle-carrying frame pivotally connected with oneend of the rocking frame, a counterbalance supported upon the latter atthe opposite side of its fulcrum, a bell-crank lever, connecting meansbetween one arm of the latter and the machinery to be driven, andflexible means connecting the other arm of the bell-crank lever with thepaddle-carrying frame.

2. In a device of the class described, a float,

a supporting-frame mounted thereon, a rocking frame pivotally connectedwith said supporting-frame, a paddle-carrying frame pivotally connectedwith said rocking frame, a

Abell-crank lever, iiexible connecting means between one arm of saidbell-crank lever and'

